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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28447878">Find Your Way Back Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilhawkeye3/pseuds/lilhawkeye3'>lilhawkeye3</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety Attacks, F/M, Foxiyo Week 2020, Healing, Medicine, Multi, Mutual Pining, Non-Chronological, Post-Order 66 (Star Wars), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Smuggling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:08:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,342</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28447878</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilhawkeye3/pseuds/lilhawkeye3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Riyo is trying to pick up the pieces of her soul in the wake of Order 66 when Wolffe stumbles into the remnants of her life. One has lost her lover, the other his twin. Perhaps they can find a common ground bridging between the shaky icebergs they're adrift on.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Riyo Chuchi/CC-1010 | Fox, Riyo Chuchi/CC-3636 | Wolffe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>91</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The endgame of this fic is a triad. I hope you like this first chapter :)<br/>The rating may eventually rise to Mature if violence/PTSD descriptions necessitate it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Juvan grew as far as the eye could see on the farm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo sat back on her knees and sighed, her fingers caressing the waxy leaves bundled in front of her. It was hard work, growing so much of the medicinal herb for the good of the Republic– or what was left of it, anyways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Rebellion was still in its infancy, but demand was already skyrocketing for Riyo’s juvan supply. It’d been a stroke of genius, really. Juvan leaves could be crushed into a paste and applied in lieu of bacta, something that was all the more necessary with the new restrictions put in place by <em>Emperor</em> Palpatine. The practice had never left the Pantoran system, something that Riyo was now thankful for, as the Empire was largely ignoring Outer Rim planets. They’d be unregulated for long enough for her to form a large stockpile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was going to be slow-going work without any help. She wasn’t able to use droids, since they could be hacked and their memory banks would be too big a liability for the Rebellion. It was safer without them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And… Riyo thought that she needed some time alone. She’s lost sight of herself while surrounded by the shallow-mindedness of daily life on Coruscant. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Who was she anymore? A senator willing to commit crimes to protect her people? To protect her lover? Herself?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was she someone who did it for the rush? For the power?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without anyone else around, she was forced to confront all of these darker aspects of herself that she’d tried to ignore for so long. Out here, there was no corrupt system for her to be a part of– or make worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was for the best.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was nice, re-honing skills that she’d learned in her childhood on her family’s farm. This work was grounding and purposeful, something that actually mattered. It would save lives.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite her best efforts though, Riyo still had to retain some form of contact with the greater galaxy. There was her datapad and holoprojector that she kept switched off for most of her time on the farm, as she instead spent her time crafting or reading the physical flimsi books that had been here for ages, still a common enough sight this far from the Inner Core.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then there was her comm device. The first weeks she’d been here, she’d left it off and hidden in the attic, wanting to hide away everything from her past. She could almost wake up and pretend that nothing terrible had happened, that her life in the Senate was just a dream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then she’d reach her arm out across the bedsheets to find Fox where he’d normally be laying next to her, and reality would slam into her once more. Her fingers would twist into the sheets as she screamed and sobbed her loss to the emptiness of her house. No one would hear her, and the universe didn’t care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fox had been taken from her. Riyo was now alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d finally saved and pulled the comm unit from the old trunk it’d been stashed in after she finished preserving the first batch of juvan for the Rebellion. She’d told Bail she was more than willing to help in the fight for freedom that she’d once taken advantage of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed that it was only fitting that her comm would go off now, the moment her mind drifted back to it. The beeping could be heard from outside the house, thanks to how isolated her little farmhouse was. Riyo reluctantly brushed the nearest juvan bush goodbye before she got up and trudged inside to answer the call, stepping out of the safe bubble she’d created and back into the real world by crossing the threshold back into her home. The comm was on a shelf in the kitchen next to the jars of preserved juvan leaves she’d already harvested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo took a deep breath as she looked at the flashing light and raised it shakily to answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bail,” she sighed, partly in relief and partly in reluctance. “How are you all?” She’d seen only bits and pieces of the latest news when she mustered up the energy to check her datapad, but it was impossible to miss the happy photos of Alderaan’s royal family: Queen Breha, Bail, and their newborn daughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re doing well, thank you.” His voice was warm as always when Riyo had heard him speak of his family. “And you? How have you been?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo let her gaze sweep over the quiet and nondescript house. She’d been here for several months already, and yet you’d hardly be able to tell anyone lived in the small home just by looking. “I’m doing alright.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lie</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “It’s lovely out here.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lie</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She scrambled to find something stable she could talk about, something that wouldn’t make her voice shake. “I’ll have a new double batch ready for you in a few days.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s wonderful news,” he replied, but there was now a hesitancy to his tone. “But that’s not why I’m calling you this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Riyo could feel her Coruscanti mask begin to slip back into place as his words provided a new source of warriness. She’d wanted to get away from all this doublespeak and hidden agendas. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She should’ve known that even trying to help in a non-political way was going to drag her back to the very things she’d been trying to put behind her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know we’d briefly discussed it several months ago, and I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t time sensitive,” Bail said. “However, this is time-sensitive.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo tried to keep her sigh silent as she nodded, despite Bail not being able to see her. “You know I’m willing to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lie lie </span>
  <em>
    <span>lie</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got a few old friends that need a little vacation. I’ll be sending them your way. I think the fresh air will be good for them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Old friends. Vacation. Fresh air.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo immediately tensed at the inclusion of these terms. Most of the code terms they’d used before had been in reference to couriers and juvan that Riyo sent the rebellion. Now it seemed that pieces of the real conflict would be coming to her doorstep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make sure to get things ready for them,” she assured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wonderful,” Bail replied, and she could just picture his smile that he’d give when a deal had been struck. “Thank you, my friend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.” Riyo tried to imbue as much warmth as possible into her words. She was glad to help, truly, but at the same time… she didn’t want to face this reality yet. “It was lovely to hear from you.” And with a click, her connection to the rest of the galaxy was lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stared blankly at the comm unit in silence for minutes, until her vision became blurry and she realized that tears were welling up within her eyes. She raised her hands to wipe them away, but suddenly her arms felt heavy, and her limbs were shaking, and her chest was growing tighter and she could no longer breathe. Riyo crumbled to the floor, curling up into a ball so her forehead was pressed against her knees as she tried to calm herself down.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s what I tell all the shinies,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Fox’s voice came to mind unbidden. “Head on their knees, arms around their legs, and think of three good things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The memory of him only caused her sobs to break free, but at least Riyo knew she was breathing now, thanks to the heaving gulps of air she sucked in between her wrecked cries.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What are three good things you think of?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She’d asked him, chin propped up on her crossed arms as she laid on top of Fox, the blankets tangled around their legs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fox had chuckled self-consciously and rubbed at his chin. “My batchmates, for one,” he said, slightly forlornly. She knew it’d been a while since he’s seen any of them. “They were what made Kamino bearable.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve met Wolffe, and Cody briefly,” she hummed. “And then… Bly, correct?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fox had sighed. “Yeah. We’re all that’s left.” He took a deep breath and continued. “Then… sunny days here on Coruscant. It always rained on Kamino, and the city was surrounded by water. At least we get brighter days here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And third?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d looked at her with surprise before a full smile broke out across his face. “You, Ri. It’s always you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The past merged with the present as Riyo gasped, “I love you,” but instead of it being a soft inhale as it once was, it now sounded as a mournful cry as she desperately clung to the pieces of what she’d lost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The universe was cruel and cold, and Riyo cursed herself for not realizing sooner as her tears subsided. She fell asleep alone on the floor, curled up like a pup abandoned by her pack.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Riyo didn’t know how much time had passed when she first blearily blinked her eyes open. Her limbs were stiff as she pushed herself off the floor and glanced towards the chronometer. Her incoming guests would be there in a matter of hours.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outside of the kitchen, attic, and refresher, there was a living room, Riyo’s bedroom, and one spare room. Not knowing how many people she’d be housing, Riyo set to work on tidying both bedrooms to accommodate them, and then moved a pillow and blanket to the couch in the living room for herself. She doubted she’d be getting much sleep with guests here, especially if they were injured like Bail had alluded to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She also knew that with strangers in her house, with other people around her after so long on her own, that these first few nights would have her on edge. The couch would be safest for her– and them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next step was a makeshift medkit. Riyo gathered supplies from around the farm: juvan, clean cloth strips, towels, and even a few vials and patches of actual bacta. She wouldn’t use the final items unless the injuries were beyond severe, but it was better to be prepared than not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then she waited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo heard the heavy footsteps coming up the gravel path before she saw them, but by then was already rushing to the door. She waited for them to approach closer, hands clutching her single blaster as she looked through the peephole to see who was arriving– just in case.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Togruta poised to knock on the door couldn’t be real.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo flung the door open without a second thought, blaster aimed at the Togruta’s face despite her shaking grip. “You can’t be here. You can’t be </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Riyo’s voice broke. “The Jedi are all dead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahsoka Tano managed to give her a strained smile as she raised both her hands by her head, showing she was unarmed. “I always was too stubborn to follow the rules,” she replied lightly. “Her smirk died as she glanced over her shoulder. “Bail sent us here,” she said in a rush. “We only just managed to get him out alive, and I think I’ve deactivated his chip so it should be safe, but he needs help </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo slowly lowered her blaster as she peered around Ahsoka to see two men in trooper armor, one who was clearly the only thing keeping the other upright, by the looks of it. She couldn’t see the second man’s helmet clearly, due to his drooping head, but the armored one next to him she’d recognize anywhere. The Jaig eyes were unmistakable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Captain Rex?” She could hardly believe the name falling out of her mouth was real, but she knew Ahsoka wouldn’t have come with anyone else. Her gaze flickered over to the other trooper, where she could see a heavy patch of red leaking from under his chestplate. It snapped her back to reality, and Riyo felt something surge through her that she hadn’t felt in months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Purpose. Responsibility. Someone to help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rex, down the hallway, first door on the left,” Riyo ordered, stepping aside so he could bring the injured man in first. “Put him on the bed and get as much of his armor off as you can. Ahsoka,” she paused, reaching out and dragging her friend into a bone crushing hug as Rex moved past them. “I’m so glad you’re alright,” Riyo whispered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too,” her friend replied, and as they drew apart, Riyo could see her blue eyes had turned glassy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But she had to focus. “Come with me,” Riyo urged, and the Togruta followed her inside and shut the door. By the time it was locked, Riyo was already in the kitchen, collecting several bowls and beginning to fill them up with warm water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See that jar of leaves?” Riyo pointed at the large glass jar that sat on the back of the counter. “That’s juvan. I need you to add one part water, three parts leaves to an empty bowl and mash them into a paste with this.” She handed Ahsoka a stone pestle. “The paste needs to be an even spread– I’ll be using this instead of bacta.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got this,” Ahsoka assured her with a sharp nod. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Riyo called over her shoulder as she took the fuller bowl of water and headed off to her room, where she’d sent Rex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she entered the cozy room, she nearly tripped over her own two feet in shock at the sight she was met with.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both troopers’ helmets were off and discarded on the floor, as well as the rest of the injured man’s upper armor. Rex was knelt next to the bed, holding tight to the trooper’s hand and pressing their foreheads together, as if his touch could somehow help him heal. It was when Rex leaned back, just as Riyo came in, that her heart stopped beating as she finally saw the second man’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wolffe</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the sticky blood that trailed from a wound just above his eyebrow, the scar that bisected the right half of his face was unmistakable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She remembered the first time she’d seen it, when Fox had introduced her to the most important person in his life. She may have chosen to love him for the rest of her life, but Fox and Wolffe... there was a bond there that was older and stronger than compared to most of the troopers she’d met. She hadn’t given it a second thought before welcoming her lover’s twin into her heart as well. What was important to Fox was important to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And as she stared at Wolffe’s face now, she couldn’t help but hear Fox’s warm tone as he’d listed his three good things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three good things had come in through Riyo’s door that day. A man who’d seen her at her lowest, a friend who’d helped her reach her best, and the last living reminder she had of the person who’d meant the most to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo couldn’t let Wolffe die. If not for him, if not for Rex and Ahsoka, then for Fox.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rex.” Her voice was devoid of any uncertainty as she stepped forward and gained his attention. “He’ll be alright, I promise. But I’m going to need you to hold him down.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>wow two Foxiyo updates in two days? not normal for me at all lmao</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Riyo stood in the doorway, staring at the sleeping form draped under a layer of blankets. All was quiet now. The golden light of dawn shone through the gaps in the window curtain, softly illuminating Wolffe’s face. It gave him a more peaceful appearance, one that Riyo knew contrasted what he was probably facing within himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The commander had been in and out of it for the past few days. While it was good that he’d been awake for several hours, meaning Riyo could get some water and food into him… she assumed what he was experiencing was doing more harm than she could heal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first time he’d woken, he’d just stared at her as if she’d torn his heart out. He hadn’t answered anything she’d asked, but he did let her prop him up so she could raise a glass of water to his lips. He drank slowly with his eyes closed, and Riyo sighed a silent thanks to the Goddess as she watched him empty the glass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wolffe dropped off quickly after he finished, and she’d done her best to ease the transition by carding her fingers gently through his hair. It was something Fox had loved, something he told her was commonly done by any </span>
  <em>
    <span>ori’vod </span>
  </em>
  <span>in a unit to a battle-weary brother to calm them. Riyo’s heart pained when she first realized that as commander, Fox had no one to do the same for him, until her. She wouldn’t be surprised if the same was true for Wolffe, or Rex, or any of the other commanding troopers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The second time he’d come to, Wolffe had trembled and muttered a constant stream of Mando’a. Riyo only recognized a word or two, but she was so busy focusing on keeping his prying hands away from his bandages that she hadn’t picked up a word he’d said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were all waiting to see if Wolffe would be more coherent the next time his eyes fluttered open. It was very touch and go, especially considering his serious injuries and the incision on his temple. The javin worked considerable wonders on the majority of his wounds, but… brains were a delicate thing. There wasn’t much she could do other than heal Wolffe to the best of her abilities and let his body do the rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well… that wasn’t necessarily true. She’d been playing host and healer to Rex and Ahsoka in the meantime. Rex had his fair share of cuts and bruises that she cajoled him into sitting still for her to treat, and Ahsoka had curled up in the chair across from them as the two took turns updating Riyo on what had been occurring in the galaxy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hundreds of thousands displaced as refugees, environments already in upheaval, any non-human sentients being barred from entering Inner Core planetary ports without special approval. Battles being fought to bring former Sepratist planets under Imperial control. Rising death tolls. A budding Rebellion, of which Bail, Ahsoka and Rex managed to be in the center of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At least one good thing had come from this. Riyo hadn’t missed the way the two warriors shifted to keep the other in their sights as long as possible. Whatever they were destined to face, they would have someone watching their back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo’s snapped from her thoughts by a quiet moan that slipped through his cracked lips. She darted forward, concerned that he may have shifted in his sleep and pulled at one of his bandaged wounds. Her fingers brushed over the bindings, not feeling any change from how she wrapped them earlier, so her attention turned onto his face to see if anything could be determined from his reaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His brows were drawn tight together, his mouth curved down in a grimace as another shaky breath left him. Riyo cupped his jaw, tilting his head straight and back to ensure his airway was open and unstrained. His next breath indeed came easier, and his eyes opened blearily in time with his chest rising.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Riyo? Wha…” She could practically see the cogs in Wolffe’s head starting up to try and work through his confusion. “Where am I?” His voice was tired and scratchy, so Riyo shushed him while she reached over to pick up the glass of water she’d left at his beside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drink first,” she urged, and held the cup to his lips after he gave a tired nod in assent. “You’ve been resting here for three days,” she explained while he was occupied. “Rex and Ahsoka brought you here so you’ll be safe while you recover.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wolffe pulled away from the water when he’d had enough. “This… your home? Is Fox–” He trailed off in a groan and moved to grab his head. Riyo caught him before he could touch his incision and curled her fingers around his as she listened patiently. “The… the Pack. General Plo.” His moan was mournful now as he shut his eyes in an attempt to avoid the onslaught of memories. “We shot him down, we shot him down!” He gasped and began to shake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo knew it was best to let him come out of it naturally, so she hummed a lullaby from her childhood softly while he clung to her. “Focus on me, copy my breathing.” She watched the fight leave his body as his adrenaline left him, neither able to fight or flee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were several moments of silence once her song ended before Wolffe’s shoulders slumped and he looked her dead in the eyes. “Where’s Fox?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d told herself she wouldn’t fall apart, not when she had to help these three soldiers heal, but despite her best efforts, Riyo could feel her eyes fill with tears. “We’re all that’s left of him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wolffe let out a broken cry. “Rex,” he whispered. “Can… can I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo squeezed his hands and moved to stand, but thought better of it after a sidelong glance at Wolffe. She knew he’d try to get up the second she left the room. Instead, she leaned back her chat and called out for his brother. “Rex! Come here, please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wolffe choked out a laugh at the sound of an abrupt clatter and inventive swears from the kitchen. She was thankful for having plastoid dishes after hearing the commotion, but wouldn’t have held it against Rex if something had broken. Plates could be replaced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rex’s amber eyes were wide when he stumbled into the room, as if he’d seen a ghost… which was accurate, Riyo supposed, after the loss of their brothers. She felt the same way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wolffe.” His voice sounded like he’d been punched. “Wolf’ika, you’re alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’re you calling ‘ika?’” Wolffe tiredly joked, trying to move and breaking out in another moan. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hurts</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo knew things must be far worse than they appeared for him to admit such a thing. “Can you tell me where it hurts?” She asked gently, placing a calming hand on his chest to try and keep him still. Wolffe’s gaze flickered back onto her, and she bit back a worried murmur at their glazed over appearance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Head. Chest cold,” he rumbled. His arm trembled as he lifted it and shifted her touch to straddle his sternum and left breast. “Here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo’s vision went blurry as she looked between their hands and his face. “The pain will fade,” she promised shakily, removing her hand from his grasp to smoothen his brow. It was warmer than earlier– not a good sign. “Rex, will you keep him company? I’m going to get something to help fight his fever.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood and backed away from the bed before either could respond, but Rex nodded gratefully as he came forward to take her place beside his </span>
  <em>
    <span>vod.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Riyo allowed herself a glimpse of Rex leaning down to press his forehead to Wolffe’s before she all but ran from the room.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>-ika = little<br/>ori'vod = older sibling</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello and welcome, new Riyo/Wolffe shippers! Personally, I've been calling them SnowWolf or RiWolffe in my head, but I'm open to hearing any other ideas!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Riyo gripped the kitchen countertop tighter than anything in her whole life. The loud pounding of her heartbeat in her ears threatened to drown out the pounding of her heart as she sought a tether point in her whirlwind of emotions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t do this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>How could she do this? The ghosts she’d left on Coruscant were now seeking shelter in her bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d looked at Wolffe laid out on her bed, and some sick part of her expected him to be Fox. She used to bandage her lover’s wounds on their bed in her old apartment. What had she done to deserve this cosmic taunt?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Riyo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo’s hands flew to her mouth to hold in her startled shriek at Ahsoka’s appearance just to her left. Her friend’s lips twisted into an apologetic smile, and she patiently waited for Riyo to come down from her sudden rush of adrenaline. Her rusty hand cupped Riyo’s elbow to help ground her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry,” Riyo murmured, blinking rapidly to hide her brimming tears before she met Ahsoka’s gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Togruta’s eyes were sad as she searched for the right words, despite them both knowing nothing would ease Riyo’s pain. “You see him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a gasp for air after so long underwater. “How can I not?” Her tears stubbornly refused to fall now, despite clamoring at the floodgates only moments ago. “I can’t… I can’t focus on this right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t go back in there right now either,” Ahsoka calmly pointed out. “Wolffe needs to heal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so grew her guilt. “I know.” She needed to do something to keep her hands and mind busy. “I’ll get some more juvan ready so I can make a cold pack and show Rex what to do. You’ll both need to know how for when you go back.” She tried to ignore the predatory way Ahsoka’s eyes followed her around the kitchen as she gathered supplies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I find that talking helps sometimes,” Ahsoka quietly suggested, once Riyo stood back at the sink with her items gathered around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not sure I remember how to do that after so long on my own,” Riyo muttered, grabbing a bundle of leaves from a jar more harshly than they deserved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No time better than the present.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo paused to stare calculatingly at her friend. She wasn’t lying about not knowing if she’d be able to speak of her nightmares after so long bottling it all in. “I propose a trade.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of Ahsoka’s painted brows rose in interest. “A trade.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will tell you if you update me on your… situation.” She’d tiptoed around the circumstances of her guests’ arrival– and unlikely survival– for the past few days.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, deal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo’s hands hovered uncertainly as she tries to steady her breathing before she begins. Where to even start? She’d tried so hard to forget that night six months ago. Now she had to relive it in full.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I was home for the night.” Riyo doesn’t even recognize her voice with how vacant it sounds. “Everything was normal, even when I got a call from Co– Thire.” She didn’t want to relegate them to their titles. Those men– her </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends– </span>
  </em>
  <span>were worth much more than that. “He’d call sometimes if Fox was too busy to come home.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Breathe in, one, two, three, breathe out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s– there </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>a code phrase Fox had me agree to.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Dusk is falling soon.</span>
  </em>
  <span> If one of us used it in a communication, we knew it was from the other.” Her hands began to shake as she ground the juvan up. “Thire said it to me that night. He said I had to flee Coruscant while I still could, before I was marked as a traitor by the Chancellor. That Fox needed to know I was safe, because… because he didn’t think he was coming home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Riyo…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo tried to laugh but she choked on her voice. “No, no it’s fine. Please don’t feel sorry for me, not after–” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not after what you’ve lost.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It hangs in the air like a shadow, chilling the two women to the bone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She could feel Ahsoka’s eyes on her for a long moment before she conceded. “Alright. So you fled Coruscant?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo nodded. “Yes. I waited for him, but… then I gathered those I could and had a trusted pilot shuttle us off. It wasn’t just those from my office, though. There were several other members from Pantora’s allies that we also safely evacuated. It was beneficial in the long run, since the number of hyperspace jumps we needed to make ensured that we weren’t followed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was wise of you,” Ahsoka confirmed. “You most likely had been tailed. The Empire has been interrogating anyone they view even as having a potential to be rebellious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo dipped her head in a gentle nod. “And I never was one of the Cha– Emperor’s greedy followers,” she added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her friend’s lips quirked up in a humorless smile. “No, you weren’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyways, I timed my resignation to autosend sometime during our flight, and I contacted Bail, who gave us directions to follow. That’s all there really is to tell,” Riyo sheepishly shrugged, relieved to be finished and able to turn her attention back to the juvan leaves she’d laid out. They needed to be diced and then ground with water into a paste that could be either frozen and saved, or wrapped in a damp cloth and held to the wound.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, my turn then?” Ahsoka asked, faux-cheer evident in her voice but appreciated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo nodded, thankful for something else to focus on. She beckoned her over though, waiting until the Togruta was looking over her shoulder. “Just make sure to watch how I do it, so you’ll be able to on your own. The leaves have to be separated carefully, or you’ll negate the medicinal qualities.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahsoka observed quietly as Riyo worked, nodding along to each specific task that Riyo pointed out. It was quite simple, but an untrained eye would still mess it up. It was nice to have someone at her side. She’d been so used to being alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We agreed on a trade?” Ahsoka prompted, once Riyo stepped aside and handed the knife over for her to try. “Would you still like to hear what we’ve seen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo bit the inside of her cheek to try and keep herself afloat in the surge of stress that threatens to sweep her away. “Yes, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahsoka nodded sharply, and then the knife made its first clean slice. “We were on our way back from Mandalore after apprehending Darth Maul– the Sith Zabrak,” she elaborated for Riyo’s sake. “And an order went out to all the clone troopers, everywhere in the galaxy: </span>
  <em>
    <span>execute Order 66,</span>
  </em>
  <span> to kill the Jedi.” Her fingers clenched around the knife handle to the point that Riyo thought it’d snap. “Somehow Rex… he fought it long enough to warn me to find a file about Fives, an ARC trooper that–”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo could feel the blood drain from her face at the mention of that name, one she’d long forgotten. “I remember. Fox… he shot him, to protect the Emperor.” It felt like lifetimes ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a twisted sense, it was. It’d been during Fox’s lifetime, when he still came home to her every night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahsoka hummed in agreement. “Right. Well, Fives had told Rex that the clones all had control chips in their heads, and that a damaged chip had caused another trooper to shoot a Jedi. No one believed him.” Her shoulders drooped. “I was able to capture Rex and take the chip out of his head, and he was back to normal. I… I let Maul out of his cell though as a distraction, and he damaged the ship so it crashed into a moon. We lost the whole battalion,” she finished in a whisper, head bowed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Ahsoka,” Riyo gasped. She wasn’t sure how a hug would be received, so she placed a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahsoka’s eyes were teary when she looked up. “Thank you, but please don’t be for me. I took a risk, and it was Rex’s brothers that paid the consequences.” She shrugged half-heartedly. “I’m glad we found Wolffe. There have been other clones that escaped, but Wolffe was always one of his closest brothers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small smile slipped onto her face unbidden. “I’m glad for the both of them as well. How did you find Com– Wolffe, though? You all barely made it here,” she pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Togruta sighed. “You know Bail’s been coordinating a lot recently. We were sent out on a mission to try and contact a defector from the Empire. They’re a medic, and they’ve been treating several troopers sent to them for abnormal behavior. We arrived to get them out, and Wolffe was their latest patient, but they were being watched.” She stopped talking to peer at her work cautiously. “Is this correct?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stepped out of the way so Riyo could observe her work. “This is very good for anyone’s first try,” Riyo praised her. “Now we just need to grind it with some water to get a thick enough paste.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahsoka waited for Riyo to set up the next step before continuing. “We had the freed men escort the medic onto our waiting ship, but we couldn’t take Wolffe back to base because of his chip. I followed their instructions to try and deactivate it, but we had to leave in a hurry. It took us a few days and several firefights before we lost them well enough to get here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Had no idea you’d gotten that good with a blaster, either.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo bit back a shriek as Rex’s voice piped up from behind them. Good thing she’d been using the mortar and not a knife, otherwise she might’ve cut herself. At least he had the decency to send her an apologetic smile once she whirled around to face him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gee thanks, Rex,” Ahsoka huffed, reaching out to playfully slap his chest. The two of them shared a grin, and Riyo decided to study the wooden floor beneath her feet until they snapped out of it. She wouldn’t dare disrupt their small moment of joy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I came out to let you know Wolffe is asleep again,” Rex finally explained his presence after he shook himself free of their little bubble. “We spoke some, but he tired quickly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was good. He clearly was suffering from some form of head injury, so any amount of time Wolffe was able to be awake and coherent was a step in the right direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, that’s wonderful news. We should be able to apply this compress despite that.” Riyo picked up the bowl of ground javun and gestured at a clean cloth folded on the counter top. “Would you grab that and come with me? I’ll show you what to do, so you know how in the future.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A quiet grief crept up her spine with each step she took back towards Wolffe’s room. He needed her help. She could pull herself together for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo entered the room alone and took the seat beside Wolffe’s still form. Rex would be along in a minute. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until then, she studied the still man’s face, finding and cataloguing each unique feature of him and hoping it wouldn’t come back to haunt her like before.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>lmao please don't expect updates this fast, I promise this is abnormal</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>She’s far more worried about Wolffe’s state than she lets on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d responded well again to the mundane healing methods she’d been using, sighing and relaxing in his sleep after the latest round of javun applied to his wounds. However, when he doesn’t stir as the afternoon light turns into dusk (the days are longer here than on Coruscant, and the golden hours stretch further than the sunbeams scattered across the floor), Riyo begins to worry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She can’t let it show, though. What Rex needs right now is hope. What </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span> needs right now is hope.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wolffe will live, even if she has to personally blackmail the Goddess into returning his soul.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The house is dark and silent at this time of night, Rex and Ahsoka both having retired hours before. Riyo never disturbed them once they left the common areas. Privacy was a luxury that she doubted even existed from wherever they returned to between missions. She wasn’t naive: Bail had clearly been recruiting and funding a rebelling force, one that she was helping to heal with her javun shipments, but even he had his limitations on how much he could set up and offer in only half a year.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She pondered over these and other stray thoughts from her makeshift bed on the chilly wooden floor in Wolffe’s room. The couch had been her spot for the past days, but she’d been afraid that if something happened in the middle of the night, she wouldn’t stir from her fitful sleep to be able to help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So, she’d gathered up her pillow and pair of blankets– only the two, since all the others were currently split between her three guests– and settled in for an uncomfortable night. She knew she would get used to it, and that this was only a temporary arrangement. The hard floor was a small price to pay if it meant she was able to help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As her consciousness became fuzzy in the minutes before she drifted off, Riyo watched Wolffe’s sleeping form with eyes hooded from exhaustion. Was he always this still when he slept? Or was it merely a side effect of his injuries? Did he still treat everyone gruffly to hide his gentler side, the one she’d first seen after passing his interrogation on her “intentions towards Fox” with flying colors? Or had the war and this nightmarish aftermath snuffed it out?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She swore to herself, with only the still night as her witness, that she’d find a way to bring it back.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Riyo woke with a start, a stuttered gasp flying from her lips as she rudely snapped back into the waking world. It took her a heartbeat to remember where she was when she couldn’t feel the soft dip of the couch beneath her, but the sight and feel of calloused fingers wrapping around her wrist did the trick. Her trapped hand was resting beside her head on the pillow, so Riyo’s gaze was swiftly able to follow the length of her waker’s arm up towards the bed. She was greeted with Wolffe’s furrowed brow and intense stare.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re awake,” she said blankly, unable to state more than the obvious in her surprise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The crease on his forehead grew as his frown deepened. “What are you doing?” He rasped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t move, afraid that if anything broke this conversation, he would spook and draw away like a frightened animal. “I didn’t want you to be in here alone, in case something went wrong,” she honestly explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes roamed her face, and Riyo did her best to remain still under his scrutiny. She had no idea what he was looking for, but it was only fair for her to allow him to search. After understanding what the control chips had done to the troopers, taking away any sort of choice and forcing uniform thought, the last thing she wanted to do was enforce any lingering push towards that mentality. His mind was free here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A series of emotions streaked across his face, and she could almost see the gears in his head turning as he worked through each thought. His grip on her wrist loosened, but it was still enough that he could feel her calming pulse beneath his fingertips. She found it soothing, almost like he was seeking out evidence that she was alive and real and here with him. Hopefully it gave him a similar peace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The words Wolffe finally settled on ripped the air out of her lungs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not Fox.” There was nothing accusatory in his tone; in fact, he sounded defeated. Hollow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Riyo knew too well how that felt, how it could eat someone alive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shifted further on to her side, both so she could see him more easily and cover his fingers with her free hand. “I know that,” she whispered, feeling the weight of her admission. “I know you aren’t him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes narrowed in confusion as he tried to parse out some hidden meaning to her statement. “Then why are you here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was like a knife to the chest, and she couldn’t hide her subtle flinch. “Because you deserve to be somewhere safe. To be helped by someone who cares about you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I... don’t understand.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gave him a sad smile. “You don’t have to. Just rest and heal, that’s all I ask.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wolffe watched her for a minute longer before his lips parted in a deep sigh and he eased himself fully onto his back once more. He kept his hold on Riyo’s wrist, though, and turned his head so he could still watch her through his milky white eye, his brown one half-closed as his face pressed into his pillows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to sleep on the floor,” he mumbled, curiosity overcoming his fatigue and allowing him to stay awake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shrugged with her raised shoulder. “It’s easier to keep an eye on you if I’m in the same room.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hummed blandly. “Y’say that like I’m a problem,” he said lightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Riyo couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I say that like you have multiple </span>
  <em>
    <span>injuries </span>
  </em>
  <span>that are </span>
  <em>
    <span>healing</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she countered, earning a quiet snort from him in return.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yessir, whatever you say.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A real grin spread across her face. If he was able to sass her back like this already, she knew he’d be alright in the end. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They lapsed into an easy silence, one that didn’t crush in on Riyo’s chest for the first time in recent memory. It was nice, having a simple connection with someone again where there were no rules or expectations hanging over their heads. Simply two weary souls, clinging to each other on a rock surrounded by a swift current.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wolffe was the one to finally speak. “He loved you, y’know. A lot.” His voice was much softer now, and Riyo had to fight the urge to get on her knees and pull him into a hug in an attempt to fight the sorrow that clung to every word.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or maybe she was being selfish, and wanted to beat back her own rising sorrow. It was much more muted than usual, not enough to have her curling up in despair, but still strong enough to summon tears to her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She squeezed his hand where it still rested under hers. “He loved you more.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She knew it to be true with every cell in her body, Memories of the few times she’d been privileged to see them interact and of the many instances she listened to Fox’s stories about his batchmate flooded to the front of her mind. Fox loved his brothers so much, and Riyo loved him all the more for it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The quiet this time was soaked in grief, but a more contemplative kind, very different from the drowning emotion Riyo often lost herself to. She was exhausted now though, emotionally rung dry from how much of the past she’d dwelled on that day. Wolffe’s hand was warm and steady against her cooler skin, and it overwhelmed her tired senses as she began to slip back into a slumber. A fleeting thought wondered why he hadn’t let her go yet, but the fog pulling down at her eyelids dismissed it as quickly as it’d come.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perhaps it was a figment of her mind as she slipped into a dreamworld, but Riyo felt his hand move from under hers to slide up her wrist to her palm and carefully slide his fingers between hers. Their interlocked hands could now rest easily on the pillow, and she let out a contented sigh as she pulled them closer to her cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A gentle whisper floated into the air, one that had a lone tear escape through her lashes and fall free.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Riyo. He didn’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>He loved you most</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>something something may the fourth be with you and all that jazz. Join me for more post order 66 pain and SnowWolf feels :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Riyo’s heart was in her throat as she slipped out of Wolffe’s room that morning, hair slightly disheveled from her pillow’s thickly woven fabric. She hadn’t meant to sleep in so late, but tried to crush her lingering guilt by reminding herself that she hadn’t slept that well in months now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She came to an abrupt stop when she spotted Rex standing in the kitchen, staring out the window at the fields of javun with a steaming cup of tea in his hands. He looked back over his shoulder at her with a soft smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How is he?” Nothing could get by the captain, especially in such small quarters with two of the people he held dear to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo offered a tired smile. “Healing. Able to hold a conversation, and be sarcastic,” she added as an afterthought, feeling pleased when Rex chuckled. “I think he’ll be alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blond’s smile turned bittersweet. “As alright as the rest of us,” he sighed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her shoulders drooped. “I suppose so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grimaced apologetically and turned away, back to the window and the world outside. “Sorry, that was rude of me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But not untrue.” Riyo made her way around the kitchen, snatching her favorite mug from the drying rack and a reusable tea bag from her cabinet before preparing a drink with the hot water pot and tea leaves Rex had left out on the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He spoke up as she poured water into the ceramic mug. “I’m glad it was you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nearly spilled the pot all over herself with how much she jolted in surprise. “Pardon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rex was looking at her again, eyes a deep gold in the morning light. “I’m glad it was you here.” He lifted his drink to his mouth, but not in time to hide his sly smile. “I don’t think there’s anyone else that could really help him now. And I know Ahsoka’s been glad to see a friendly face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo blinked at him vacantly for several long seconds. “And you?” She asked, choosing to side-step dealing with the confused swirl of emotions that now filled her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rex smirked, clearly knowing she was avoiding it. “I found it nice to see that someone held true to their oaths.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her mind flashed back to when she’d first met Rex and his men, the renowned 501st Battalion. Orto Plutonia had been an unhappy experience, but one that she had grown much from. Seeing the lives of so many men cut short over miscommunication and greed, learning that her people were in the wrong, treating with a proud nation despite being uncertain of her place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘To die for one’s people is a great sacrifice. To live for them, a greater sacrifice. I choose to live,’” she recited, those words seared into her soul until the day she died. She met his gaze with a steady look and a raised eyebrow. “What do you choose, Rex?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He met her stare with an equally quirked brow, as if to say I’m here, aren’t I? “I live for my brothers that haven’t been freed. I live for the ones that already breathed their last.” He paused. “I live for </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahsoka.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She chose you,” Riyo said slowly, parsing out his hidden message. “She saved you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She saved you… but at the cost of your brothers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sucked in a breath. “Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo closed her eyes, feeling the pain that rolled off him in waves. “And you blame her for it, yet you owe her everything.” She opened her eyes, and the devastated look on Rex’s face showed she’d guessed correctly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes, I wish she’d let me die with them,” he whispered into his mug, watching several stray tea leaves swirl in a gentle pattern. “To see them living, but not really </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive–</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He trailed off, searching for something, anything to keep him afloat. Riyo rushed forward, gently taking the mug from his hands and setting it aside before wrapping her arms around his waist. She hoped he wouldn’t take offense– they’d never been close– but he readily clung to her, breaths coming in ragged pants as everything finally overwhelmed him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wondered if he hadn’t allowed himself to </span>
  <em>
    <span>feel </span>
  </em>
  <span>until now, in this safe haven on a forgotten planet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a fate worse than death,” he finished, fingers clutching at her knitted sweater.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo stroked his back, trying to help soothe him. “It is for you and them,” she murmured. “You can grieve for what you lost. You’re safe here.” She felt him tremble against her and tried to hold him tighter. “Would… would you like to come help me in the fields today? Ahsoka can stay here; she’ll be able to monitor Wolffe and come get us if needed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rex exhaled shakily, but she could feel some of the tension leave him at the temporary escape she was giving him. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed that Wolffe wasn’t the only trooper under her roof that she’d be helping to heal.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Riyo had woken Ahsoka after she’d gone to get dressed for the day. She wasn’t about to leave the house without alerting her friend, seeing that her and Rex disappearing with no notice could trigger a traumatic response. As it was, Ahsoka opened one eye to listen to Riyo’s explanation of where they’d be before mumbling her thanks and burrowing back under her blankets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so Riyo and Rex went out into the juvan fields.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They talked while they worked. Rex spoke of the brothers he’d lost, Riyo of the friends among the Corries. Color returned to his face and light to his eyes as the day went on and the memories piled up. By the time the afternoon light began to fade, he was able to laugh over some of the shenanigans his Torrent squad had got up to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ahsoka watched them both with curious eyes when they returned, but she didn’t comment. Instead, she told them that while Wolffe had been muttering on and off in his sleep, he hadn’t yet woken up again. Riyo made sure to set aside some of their soup that evening for him, thinking that he might finally be stable enough to eat. When dinner was finished, Riyo left Ahsoka and Rex to their low conversation as they spoke over washing dishes in the kitchen to check on Wolffe. To her surprise, he seemed to just then be waking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The savory smell of the soup in her hands catches his attention first, and by the way his stomach rumbles, food was definitely what he needed. After a quick check to his bandages, Riyo held the bowl and helped him sip directly from it, finding that to be easier than trying to use a spoon. It was a slow and steady process, but she wanted to make sure Wolffe didn’t eat too fast and consequently vomit it up because his body couldn’t handle so much after so long asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seemed to be keeping it down well, to her relief, but then Wolffe mentioned needing to use the fresher, and a whole new set of obstacles arose. The first they barely managed to overcome as Riyo helped Wolffe stand by letting him lean heavily on her, and together they shuffled out of the room and to the fresher.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The second wasn’t as difficult physically, but still proved to be problematic on its own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo glares at him, unimpressed. “Can you even get your pants off by yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wolffe’s indignant expression makes her fight back laughter. “Of course I can–” he starts, curling downwards slightly to try and pull them down far enough, but the crunch flares up his chest wound and he hisses. “Fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo sighs. “Wolffe, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. I had to change you into these when you got here. Besides, I often walked through the Corrie barracks on my own, and one time I made a wrong turn and ended up in the Flash squadron locker room, and–”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, alright. Your point has been made,” he groaned with a roll of his eyes, and she finally caved in and laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, then.” He held still as she carefully pulled down the sweatpants and underclothes, being sure not to aggravate his thigh injury. She’d been honest about seeing him bare not bothering her; anatomy was anatomy, and it was nothing to be ashamed of or shy away from, especially when acting as an impromptu medic. “There, is that good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I can–” Wolffe shifted slightly and accidentally put weight on his bad leg, nearly falling if he hadn’t tightened his hold around Riyo’s shoulders. Her hands shot out to brace his waist and keep him from toppling over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be able to do this alone soon, but not yet,” she reaffirmed. Closing her eyes, she jerked her chin towards the toilet. “Get busy, soldier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hilarious,” Wolffe deadpanned, but Riyo could feel him relax under her fingertips. She’d hoped her nonchalant manner would be similar enough to any medical care he’d had before, and it looks like her bet had paid off. She was a statue, solid and silent next to Wolffe as he relieved himself for the first time since waking. He was trembling from standing for so long by the time he finished, and didn’t say a word as Riyo helped him redress, wash off, and return to the bedroom. She knew how hard it was to accept help after spending so long being someone others relied on, and to be in a situation where he had no other option than to accept her generosity was bound to be even more difficult.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The unwitting sigh of relief that slipped through his lips as she guided him to lay back down on the bed was evidence of how taxing the short trip was. It worried Riyo. If he was to try and go anywhere further than the fresher, he’d need someone much stronger than her to steady him, and she didn’t know how long Rex or Ahsoka were planning to stay. She was already surprised they’d remained for this long, but she figured Rex wanted to make sure his brother was definitely alright before leaving him again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked up from maneuvering the blankets back over his legs at Wolffe’s raspy voice. He was watching her again, appearing just as defeated as he had in the low light the night before. His eyes were flat, his face shadowed and paler than it normally was, which only served to heighten his haunted form.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” she finally replied after several moments of silence. “How do you feel now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He closed his eyes and let his head sink back into the pillows. “Tired.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Riyo smiled lightly. “You need to rest. Can you drink some water before you go back to sleep?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wolffe hummed, which she took to be affirmative. When she returned with a mug of cool water, it was to find Wolffe had already propped himself up and was looking somewhat expectantly towards her. She held the mug to his lips again so he could drink and distracted herself by watching the way his eyes fluttered shut as he emptied the mug. With that done, she set it aside on the bedside table and hovered in case Wolffe couldn’t arrange himself comfortably on his back. To her delight, he was able to do it himself, albeit with shaking arms. Some progress was better than none at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dusk was truly settling in and the room was beginning to grow darker with each passing second, so Riyo murmured a polite excuse and moved to leave. She was stopped by Wolffe’s hesitant call of her name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” Hopefully he wasn’t in too much pain…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you…” His words died off as he gestured weakly towards the floor next to his bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Of course I’ll stay,” Riyo agreed. “Let me wash up and change, and then I’ll be back.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>His eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell in a steady, slow rhythm by the time she slipped back into the room. His arm dangled awkwardly off the side of the bed so his knuckles brushed the chilled floor. This time Riyo was the one to take his hand in hers and rest them on her pillow, next to her head. He was warm and solid, something </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>that grounded her as she drifted off to sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was too dark for her to see the weary smile on Wolffe’s face as his thumb rubbed gentle circles against her palm before he too was out like a light.</span>
</p>
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